This review may contain spoilers
Unsatisfying disappointment!
The costumes, set, and production are well-done in this drama. I the role of the Emperor, the ruthless guard, and the female villain. I believe they were all performed adequately. This had a decent plot; although it was not unusual, it had potential. In this dark plot, not knowing who is bad or good is intriguing and will hold your interest at first.
I really wanted to like this because I am a fan of both leads, but I was never satisfied. The plot, although not unusual, still had a certain appeal and draw to me. I started out as I do with all my dramas, with an open mind. When there is a drama where both leads are masterminds at manipulating the narrative, I am automatically a fan and cannot wait to see how they outsmart the villains. So, I was a little disappointed when it did not happen the way I thought it should. It seemed they kept getting outsmarted, and that was a letdown. From the beginning, the first few episodes were a little too much in the psychological thriller aspect.
The acting was not horrible, but it was not great either. The FL (Liu Shi Shi) was somewhat demure in her portrayal of Ping An. I get that the character is emotionally damaged, but she failed to pull me in. I felt she needed some spunk to show her quest for vengeance and the truth. Also, the torture scene, IMO was over the top, and the only thing I felt was for the one doing the torture. I hated him for sure. Actually, during the entire drama, Jiang Xue Ming) who played (Li Jun was the only one that drew a reaction from me. ML, Shawn Dou, who played Yuan Shao Cheng, never showed any reaction or emotions at all. Note that his character is also emotionally damaged. To be honest, that is not unusual for the roles he plays. At this point in his career, he should be showing more growth.
Needless to say, the drama never picked up the pace. I started getting bored and could not wait for the end, just to see how it ended. That was also a letdown.
The drama never provides a pick me up through its tragic storyline. It may start but abruptly goes back to the undercurrent of tragedy.
I really wanted to like this because I am a fan of both leads, but I was never satisfied. The plot, although not unusual, still had a certain appeal and draw to me. I started out as I do with all my dramas, with an open mind. When there is a drama where both leads are masterminds at manipulating the narrative, I am automatically a fan and cannot wait to see how they outsmart the villains. So, I was a little disappointed when it did not happen the way I thought it should. It seemed they kept getting outsmarted, and that was a letdown. From the beginning, the first few episodes were a little too much in the psychological thriller aspect.
The acting was not horrible, but it was not great either. The FL (Liu Shi Shi) was somewhat demure in her portrayal of Ping An. I get that the character is emotionally damaged, but she failed to pull me in. I felt she needed some spunk to show her quest for vengeance and the truth. Also, the torture scene, IMO was over the top, and the only thing I felt was for the one doing the torture. I hated him for sure. Actually, during the entire drama, Jiang Xue Ming) who played (Li Jun was the only one that drew a reaction from me. ML, Shawn Dou, who played Yuan Shao Cheng, never showed any reaction or emotions at all. Note that his character is also emotionally damaged. To be honest, that is not unusual for the roles he plays. At this point in his career, he should be showing more growth.
Needless to say, the drama never picked up the pace. I started getting bored and could not wait for the end, just to see how it ended. That was also a letdown.
The drama never provides a pick me up through its tragic storyline. It may start but abruptly goes back to the undercurrent of tragedy.
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